Do you use rebuttals to change minds?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderboy

When you give all the relevant information in your presentation to the prospect, there's nothing more. This is the essence of the consumer always being right.

The best presentations can't cover all the potentials. Also, I believe the salesperson has a responsibility to protect the interests of the client. If the client is about to metaphorically walk off a cliff because he believes he is "right" the salesperson has an obligation to act which could include trying to change the prospects mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calvin

The best presentations can't cover all the potentials. Also, I believe the salesperson has a responsibility to protect the interests of the client. If the client is about to metaphorically walk off a cliff because he believes he is "right" the salesperson has an obligation to act which could include trying to change the prospects mind.

I presume that you qualify your prospect before you close the deal.

I've had a situation where a customer was considering about changing his decision to go forward after he first called in to cancel his account ( by the way I've never said he couldn't cancel his account) so I reminded him what he said when he first called in and he then changed his mind again and then said he wanted to replace a defective model with another one.

I was new at this job so I doublechecked with a coworker and found out that the model the customer wanted to change to was
older than the one he wanted to get rid of and has less ports on the back of it. So I doublechecked to make sure he knew that the other model he wanted to switch to was less desirable (because of the fewer ports) and he repeated that's what he wanted.

Calvin, if this customer had stated definitely that he wasn't interested, that would have been the end of the line. Instead he indicated he was only considering cancelling the account (and I got credit on a retention sale).

Again the customer is king (and queen too) and is always right.

Ok, so let me get this straight, you make your initial presentation, the customer says "not interested" and you let it go at that?

Sorry, but that's just silliness. Rebuttal is nothing but answering a customer's objections. When a customer says "not interested" it simply means "I'm not interested right now" or "you haven't shown me why I should trade my big stack of money for your small stack of benifits."

In my experience "not interested" means you're not doing your job. All customers have objections, if you're not allowed to rebut those objections then how are you supposed to ever sell anyone anything?

The art of rebuttal is nothing but overcoming objections on the way to the sale. It does NOT mean arguing with the customer but simply a way of saying "ok, I understand why you might feel that way, but here is how this (tool, car, software) can meet your needs."

Pat

Quote:

Originally Posted by toolguy_35

Ok, so let me get this straight, you make your initial presentation, the customer says "not interested" and you let it go at that?

Sorry, but that's just silliness. Rebuttal is nothing but answering a customer's objections. When a customer says "not interested" it simply means "I'm not interested right now" or "you haven't shown me why I should trade my big stack of money for your small stack of benifits."

In my experience "not interested" means you're not doing your job. All customers have objections, if you're not allowed to rebut those objections then how are you supposed to ever sell anyone anything?

The art of rebuttal is nothing but overcoming objections on the way to the sale. It does NOT mean arguing with the customer but simply a way of saying "ok, I understand why you might feel that way, but here is how this (tool, car, software) can meet your needs."

Pat

Toolguy, how do you respond when the prospect yells at you "Which part of no don't you understand?!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderboy

Toolguy, how do you respond when the prospect yells at you "Which part of no don't you understand?!"

Wonderboy what would you say to someone who said, "I want to think about it" or "Your price is too high"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderboy

Toolguy, how do you respond when the prospect yells at you "Which part of no don't you understand?!"

Dunno, never had it happen, I manage my rebuttals in such a way as to not seem pushy.

Pat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus

Wonderboy what would you say to someone who said, "I want to think about it" or "Your price is too high"?

First let me say that an excuse may be legitimate (but as the customer is always right, that's what always counts).

Whenever I get an excuse I just work more on my presentation to give the next customer more of an urge ("thinking about it" or "let me talk to my spouse" indicates there is some interest, but not enough urge). The cliche "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" applies here as your time as better spent going after hot prospects (me and contributor Jack Werth agree on this).

ToolGuy, you probably do business face to face with your prospects which may explain why you haven't heard that phrase.
Over the phone (until I got more professional) I certainly have heard it mainly because it's a more impersonal situation.

To take it one step further, due to rebuttals, the B2C telemarketing industry has lost billions thanks to the federal do-not-call list brought on by rebuttals (which I regard as the greatest business blunder in history). So I'll issue you a challenge.
For one month don't use any rebuttals and think of ways of improving your presentation and I'll bet you'll make out better (I certainly did).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wonderboy

Whenever I get an excuse I just work more on my presentation to give the next customer more of an urge ("thinking about it" or "let me talk to my spouse" indicates there is some interest, but not enough urge). The cliche "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" applies here as your time as better spent going after hot prospects (me and contributor Jack Werth agree on this).

Hot prospects can have difficulty making decisions too. A great presentation can make the decision easier but if a prospect voices an objection that doesn't mean they aren't "hot" and it doesn't mean a better presentation would have resulted in a different outcome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey

Hot prospects can have difficulty making decisions too. A great presentation can make the decision easier but if a prospect voices an objection that doesn't mean they aren't "hot" and it doesn't mean a better presentation would have resulted in a different outcome.

"...and it doesn't mean a better presentation would have resulted in a different outcome." If a presentation doesn't do it, why do reps think they have a better chance with a rebuttal?

Different people have their own idea as to what an objection is. Some will say that prospects are blowing smoke at you when they give you an objection (which may not be the real reason anyway).

I say that when you do a presentation well enough, you will build up your prospect's confidence in you as well as him- or herself to forestall any objection offered as a mere excuse. But don't expect the prospect to love a red car when he wants black. In any case I say that a good presentation will beat out 10 rebuttals anytime.

"If a presentation doesn't do it, why do reps think they have a better chance with a rebuttal?"

Prospects are going to bring ideas and beliefs to the table that a salesperson wouldn't even know needed addressed until the objection was raised.

"Different people have their own idea as to what an objection is."

Definately. What an objection means or how much weight an objection carries can vary from person to person.

"I say that when you do a presentation well enough, you will build up your prospect's confidence in you as well as him- or herself to forestall any objection offered as a mere excuse."

There can be background issues you don't know about which cause the prospect to offer an excuse.

"But don't expect the prospect to love a red car when he wants black."

No question.

Do you use rebuttals to change minds?

Persuasion and Influence Forum